My Event Ratings

Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		60%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

Date of review: September 23, 2010

Report this rating to the moderator

Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		40%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Great organisation again and the good weather helped!
Date of review: January 20, 2008

Report this rating to the moderator

Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		100%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		100%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: The baes Marathon in the UK - Better than London!
In full: Second time I have run Edinburgh - I did the old course in 2006 and found the last part tough although thoroughly enjoyed it then.

This year was even better - the weather suited me (other than the wind) and I managed a pb of 3hrs 57min 58 seconds - my first time under 4 hours !

Fantastic organisation and support - with a couple of major sponsors could be even better value for money.

I've done London 3 times (never again!) - and rate Edinburgh as far better.
Date of review: June 1, 2007

Report this rating to the moderator

Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Great weather .... and not a bad way to spend my birthday!
Date of review: January 28, 2007

Report this rating to the moderator

Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		40%
PB potential		40%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		100%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: More inclines than I expected ..... and windy !
In full: I didn't enjoy the 3 laps - sometimes it doesn't help to know what's coming up around the corner! Organisation was very good - I suffered through lack of training and my body did not work in the latter stages !!! Very good facilities for changing, showering, recovering etc. I personally won't do it again - it's a long way from Chorley and makes it an expensive race for me. Thanks for the experience though.
Date of review: December 4, 2006

Report this rating to the moderator

Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		20%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Could of and Should of been so much better .....
In full: First time for me doing the Cardiff Marathon - my 11th Marathon though so I have other race experience (not always a good thing when writing reviews!)

The good points for me were:

- Running around the Millennium Stadium.
- Running through the castle grounds.
- The second lap (when the half marathon runners had finished!)
- Flat, fast course
- A nice medal.

The downsides:
- Organisation was shocking - the start was a shambles - too many people converging on such a busy area; no splitting of pace times - so having to run past people walking in the first 200 yards (!!!); mass start of full & half runners; marshalls sparse - and many had lost interest (I saw one poor guy at the end wasn't give indication of where to go to get into the stadium as the marshalls were facing the spectators & chatting; a marshall was messing around in the tunnel leading into the stadium and ran straight across the path of a runner in front of me; there were no marshalls splitting the runners on their return up the barrage - so the leaders were fighting their way through the mass pack; very little marsall encouragement - although a handful were supportive)
- There could easily (if there wasn't) have been a serious accident due to restricted track width around the barrage area - runners were spreading onto the rocks and putting themselves & others in danger.
- I didn't get water until 9 miles - the water stations were abysmal on the first lap - not long enough & the people at the stations were not prepared - runners were teaing into packs of water bottles to help themselves - it wasn't worth the risk.
- The runners - they mayt be excited, it may be their first half - but DON'T put me at risk by stopping dead in front of me, running across the pack to greet family / friends in the crowd - have some care for the people around you. (I saw the worst examples of poor running etiquette that I have ever seen at Cardiff yesterday)
- T-Shirts - or should I say what t-shirts ? They ran out !!! I didn't get one and my marathon time was good - fortunately a Barnardo's worker took the initiative and was taking names of those who had missed out to get t-shirts posted out ? We will see!
- Championchip - mine came home with me as there was no system to colect them in and as they had to be secured on your laces it was not an easy thing to remember to get rid of after 26 miles !

I expected a great race in Cardiff - it has som much potential but really needs a re-think.

It's a great flat course with plenty of PB potential (if you can have a safe run!) - but needs serious re-thinks for next year.

I'll only do this again if there are changes - plenty of runners in the race but not a lot of care for their safety ?

Split starts ?
Organised start ?
Course re-think ?
More and better marshalling ?
Improved drink station organisation ?
Enough t-shirts (and better quality goodybag !)?

These things need addressing.
Date of review: October 16, 2006

Report this rating to the moderator

Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		100%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Organisation to die for ..... great sunshine - great for a walk !
In full: 3rd time I've done te full.

I prefer the old course and would love there to be less course around the Watersports centre.

Organisation spot on - exactly how it should be done.

Cooler next year ..... please ?
Date of review: September 11, 2006

Report this rating to the moderator

Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		100%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Don't blame Ron - blame God ! Great fun race.
In full: I too was disappointed that this was not 10k - BUT - I spoke to the orgsniser - Ron McAndrew (who has the most terrible luck !) who told me that the race had to be shortened due to water conditions on the beach south of the southern turning point - and had the race have been a day earlier it would not have happened at all due to the beach being completely flooded.

Ron did most of the organising / setting up for this race himself - and the organisers should be tahnked for making this one happen at all.

I loved the "water jumps" and different nature of this race - made a nice break from the pavement pounding.

Also it is a shame the momento was changed to a t-shirt - as I have enough cotton t-shirts and prefer medals / other momento's, but for the price I'm not complaining.

I WILL be back next year for more fun - and hopefully God will allow Ron to lengthen the run to it's true 10k distance (my Garmin measured 4.79 miles)
Date of review: September 3, 2006

Report this rating to the moderator

Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		40%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		60%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Good but nothing special
In full: A good 10k, with PB potential.

Traffic was not too well controlled in places and annoyed drivers were weaving their way through a lot of runners.

The start funnelled into a narrow lane due to a parked car near the start mats !

Dull day. dull scenery.

On the plus side: mostly flat, plenty of parking, adequate toliets, decent towel momento, water station on a 10k, chip timing.
Date of review: August 21, 2006

Report this rating to the moderator

Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		100%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: This is exactly what a half marathon should be !
In full: Organisation faultless (as ever)

That's 5 Mansfield Half's I have done now and continues to be a favourite run.

PLEASE change from t-shirts to some other momento from next year (5 different coloured cotton t-shirts now .....)

Great course

Weather was hot, but better than forecast.

I had a painful, and for me a slow run - but I love this race !
Date of review: July 2, 2006

Report this rating to the moderator